1. Field of the Invention
The present invention involves a method of providing a message service for prepaid telecommunications wherein end users are provided a user unit for utilizing a single phone number for a single use to access a predetermined message.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Various systems used for controlling, billing and blocking usage of telecommunications systems using computerized central switching stations have been developed. The following is representative of the prior art:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,155 to Peter D. Castro describes a method and apparatus for prepayment of telecommunication connections between two telecommunications devices which involves storing telecommunication-time data representative of a prepurchased amount of time available for payment of telecommunications connections in a switching network. At the initiation of the first telecommunication device, a connection is established between the first and second telecommunication devices so that a telecommunication process can be conducted therebetween. The telecommunication connection between the first and second devices is terminated in response to termination of the telecommunication process. The time duration of the connection is measured. The stored telecommunication-time data is processed to indicated a decrement in the available telecommunication-time, which is essentially equal to the measured time duration of the connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,075 to Sang T. La et al. describes a telephone set capable of selectively accepting callers and enabling partial recognitions of callers. The telephone set includes tip and ring terminals, a first analogue switch connected to the tip terminal, a first bridge diode connected to the first analogue switch and the ring terminal, a wave rectifying circuit connected to the first bridge diode, a microprocessor connected to the wave rectifying circuit and the first analog switch, an EEPROM connected to the microprocessor, a hook switch connected to the microprocessor, and a selecting switch connected to the microprocessor. It further includes a second bridge diode connected to the tip and ring terminals, a hybrid IC circuit connected to the second bridge diode, a DTMF decoder connected to the hybrid IC circuit and the microprocessor, a power supply means for supplying the required power to the internal circuits, and a second analogue switch and a microphone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,408 to Steven L. Greenspan describes a call processing embodiment where customers are offered a special dialing plan where received numbers are processed such that a query of a database is defined when a prespecified access code, e.g. *66, is received, for example followed by a destination, but where call blocking is defined for a predefined plurality of destination numbers, e.g. all destination numbers beginning with 976 or 1-900 or all destination numbers beginning with 1, when such numbers are received without the prespecified access code. Illustratively, the database query may result in the customer being prompted for a personal identification number (PIN) and accordingly 976 or 1-900 access is thereby limited to those knowing the PIN. The database may perform other call screening and call management operations such as time of day or day of week screening or limiting the number or cost of 976 calls in a given time period.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,891 to Marvin Marshall describes an invention wherein the amount of credit available to a telephone travel card holder is determined immediately at the completion of a long distance call and the travel card is invalidated if no credit remains. Capture software captures call ticket data at the completion of a call and the ticket data is transmitted to a monitoring computer without delay. The monitoring computer calculates the amount of credit available to that caller and invalidates the travel card if no credit remains by transmitting a signal to all switching equipment stations throughout the telephone system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,186 to Wolfgang Heberle et al. describes a method allowing the continued use of a credit card which has expired in terms of time or value units for automatic vendors which are in communication with a central evaluation location. The method allows a continuation of telephone calls, even with an expired telephone credit card, by debiting of the fee units used or made to the account of the card owner at the central evaluation location in a chronologically limited transition time after every service performance so that a call is not cut-off in the middle of a call.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,275 to Zvi Kamil describes a telephone system enabling prepayment for telephone calls, wherein special code and credit information is stored in memory in special exchanges and debited as the call progresses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,377 to Allison B. Mearns involves a method for automatically processing call data from a Traffic Service Position System over Common Channel Interoffice Signaling facilities to a remotely located data base system to verify the entitlement of the caller to bill the call on a credit card, collect and charge-to-a-third number basis. The call data, dialed by the caller, comprises a credit card or station number together with a Personal Identification Number used by authorized callers in placing the special service calls. The data base system includes a memory table of authorized numbers to which the calls are charged and billed. The data base transmits Common Channel Interoffice Signaling direct signaling verification messages through the signal transfer system to the Traffic Service Position System signifying the entitlement and nonentitlement of the caller to the call service.
Notwithstanding the above prior art, there are no teachings or suggestions that would render the present invention anticipated or obvious.